Africa’s CDC declares mpox a public health emergency

Christian Musema, a laboratory nurse, takes a sample from a child declared a suspected case of Mpox at the treatment centre in Munigi, following Mpox cases in Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo July 19, 2024. (REUTERS)
Christian Musema, a laboratory nurse, takes a sample from a child declared a suspected case of Mpox at the treatment centre in Munigi, following Mpox cases in Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo July 19, 2024. (REUTERS)
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Updated 14 August 2024
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Africa’s CDC declares mpox a public health emergency

Africa’s CDC declares mpox a public health emergency

NAIROBI: The African Union’s health watchdog on Tuesday declared a public health emergency over the growing mpox outbreak on the continent, saying the move is a “clarion call for action.”
The outbreak has swept through several African countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the virus formerly called monkeypox was first discovered in humans in 1970.
“With a heavy heart but with an unyielding commitment to our people, to our African citizens, we declare mpox as public health emergency of continental security,” Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said during an online media briefing.
“Mpox has now crossed borders, affecting thousands across our continent, families have been torn apart and the pain and suffering have touched every corner of our continent,” he said.
According to CDC data as of August 4, there had been 38,465 cases of mpox and 1,456 deaths in Africa since January 2022.
“This declaration is not merely a formality, it is a clarion call to action. It is a recognition that we can no longer afford to be reactive. We must be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to contain and eliminate this threat,” Kaseya said.
It is the first time the Addis Ababa-headquartered agency has used the continental security power it was given in 2022.
The decision is expected to help to mobilize money and other resources early in any efforts to halt the spread of disease.
Boghuma Titanji, assistant professor in medicine at Emory University in the United States, said the CDC declaration was a “crucial step” toward enhancing coordination among African countries and encouraging them to allocate funds to combat the outbreak.
“While there has been substantial criticism of foreign donors for inadequate support, the over-reliance on external aid has highlighted a major flaw in the current response efforts,” Titanji said in a statement.

CDC’s announcement on Tuesday comes ahead of a meeting of the World Health Organization’s emergency committee on August 14 to decide whether to trigger a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) — the highest alarm the WHO can sound.
“What we are declaring today can be complemented by the action WHO can take,” Kaseya said.
The United States said it was in “close coordination” on mpox with DR Congo, other affected countries and health bodies.
“We are tracking closely the spread of mpox in Central Africa. We are pleased to see international leadership in this area,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
He said that the United States so far this year has contributed $17 million beyond already programmed assistance to help African countries prepare and respond to mpox.
In May 2022, mpox infections surged worldwide, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men, due to the Clade IIb strain.
That led the WHO to declare a PHEIC, which lasted from July 2022 to May 2023. The outbreak caused some 140 deaths out of around 90,000 cases.
Titanji, a Cameroonian-born doctor, said that declaration did not however “lead to significant- improved access to diagnostics, therapeutics, or vaccines for African countries.”
Renamed from monkeypox in 2022, mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.
The disease causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions.
There are two subtypes of the virus: the more virulent and deadlier Clade I, endemic in the Congo Basin in central Africa; and Clade II, endemic in West Africa.
The cases that have been surging in the DRC since September 2023 are due to a different strain: the Clade Ib subclade.
A PHEIC has been declared by the WHO seven times since 2009: over H1N1 swine flu, poliovirus, Ebola, Zika virus, Ebola again, Covid-19 and mpox.
 

 


World will miss Paris climate target as nitrous oxide rises, report says

World will miss Paris climate target as nitrous oxide rises, report says
Updated 9 sec ago
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World will miss Paris climate target as nitrous oxide rises, report says

World will miss Paris climate target as nitrous oxide rises, report says
  • Nitrous oxide is the third most prevalent greenhouse gas and the worst ozone-depleting gas
WASHINGTON: Failing to curb emissions of nitrous oxide will make it impossible to meet the main goal of the Paris climate agreement to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to the first major global assessment of the pollutant released on Thursday.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Nitrous oxide is the third most prevalent greenhouse gas and the worst ozone-depleting gas.
The Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment (N2O) report is similar to the 2021 Global Methane Assessment, which showed that human-caused methane emissions can be reduced by up to 45 percent this decade and laid the groundwork for 150 countries to commit to the Global Methane Pledge to curb those emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
By the numbers
Nitrous oxide emissions, driven primarily by the agricultural use of synthetic fertilizers and manure, have increased globally by 40 percent since 1980, and are on pace to rise 30 percent over 2020 levels by 2050, the report said.
Taking global action to reduce emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) could avoid the equivalent of up to 235 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2100, it said.
A US State Department official told Reuters earlier this year that slashing N2O emissions from production of fertilizers or the production of materials like nylon is cheap, costing as little as $10 per metric ton through projects using the voluntary carbon offset market.
Key quote
“Ambitious action to reduce nitrous oxide emissions could move the world closer to meeting a wide range of global climate, ozone and other environmental and human health goals,” said the assessment, published by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition of over 180 governments, NGOs, and international organizations.
Context
US officials also met with Chinese counterparts to discuss cooperating on slashing N2O emissions. The countries are the biggest emitters of the greenhouse gas.

90 Rohingya left ‘stranded’ on Indonesia beach

90 Rohingya left ‘stranded’ on Indonesia beach
Updated 5 min 4 sec ago
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90 Rohingya left ‘stranded’ on Indonesia beach

90 Rohingya left ‘stranded’ on Indonesia beach
  • Members of the persecuted minority risk their lives each year on long and dangerous sea journeys, often crowding into rickety boats in the hopes of reaching Malaysia or Indonesia

LHOKSEUMAWE: Human traffickers left dozens of Rohingya refugees, including children, stranded on a shoreline in westernmost Indonesia on Thursday, while six dead bodies were found nearby, local officials said.
Members of the persecuted minority risk their lives each year on long and dangerous sea journeys, often crowding into rickety boats in the hopes of reaching Malaysia or Indonesia.
The refugees were abandoned before dawn on Thursday around 100 meters off a beach in Aceh Province, Saiful Anwar, a village official in East Aceh, told AFP.
The group included 46 women, 37 men and seven children, he said, while locals found two bodies on the shore and four floating in the sea.
“According to information from residents, these people were stranded at around 4 am (2100 GMT). It seems like there was a boat that brought them,” Saiful said.
Eight sick refugees were taken for medical treatment, he said.
East Aceh acting district head Amrullah M. Ridha told reporters the refugees would be kept in tents on the beach until authorities sheltered them.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it knew about the arrivals but could offer no further information.
Acting Aceh Governor Safrizal, who goes by one name, told reporters “human trafficking mafia activity” was to blame for the latest arrivals.
It is the third group of arrivals in western Indonesia this month, with more than 150 refugees landing in Aceh and another 140 arriving in North Sumatra province.
According to UNHCR, 2,500 Rohingya arrived by boat in Aceh between January 2023 and March 2024, as many as had arrived in Indonesia in the previous eight years.
The mostly Muslim ethnic group faces persecution in Myanmar, and many have fled military crackdowns, seeking shelter in sprawling refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh.
Every year, thousands of Rohingya attempt the perilous 4,000-kilometer journey (2,500 miles) from Bangladesh to Malaysia, fueling a multi-million dollar human-smuggling operation that often involves stopovers in Indonesia.
Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention and says it cannot be compelled to take in the refugees, calling instead on neighboring countries to share the burden.
Many Acehnese, who themselves have memories of decades of bloody conflict, are sympathetic to the plight of their fellow Muslims, but others say their patience has been tested by the annual arrivals.


Judge sets hearing on $1 million-a-day sweepstakes from Elon Musk PAC helping Donald Trump

Judge sets hearing on $1 million-a-day sweepstakes from Elon Musk PAC helping Donald Trump
Updated 31 October 2024
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Judge sets hearing on $1 million-a-day sweepstakes from Elon Musk PAC helping Donald Trump

Judge sets hearing on $1 million-a-day sweepstakes from Elon Musk PAC helping Donald Trump
  • Giveaways come from Musk’s political organization, which aims to boost Donald Trump’s presidential campaign
  • The sweepstakes is open to people in battleground states who sign a petition supporting the Constitution

PHILADELPHIA: A Philadelphia judge is holding a hearing Thursday morning in the city prosecutor’s bid to shut down Elon Musk’s $1 million-a-day sweepstakes in battleground states. The giveaways come from Musk’s political organization, which aims to boost Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, filed suit Monday to stop the America PAC sweepstakes, which is set to run through Election Day. Judge Angelo Foglietta will hear motions on the issue in a City Hall courtroom.
Matthew Haverstick, one of several lawyers representing the defendants, declined to say late Wednesday if Musk would attend the hearing.
The sweepstakes is open to people in battleground states who sign a petition supporting the Constitution.
Krasner has said he could still consider criminal charges, saying he is tasked with protecting the public from both illegal lotteries and “interference with the integrity of elections.”
Election law experts have raised questions about whether it violates federal law barring someone from paying others to vote. Musk has cast the money as both a prize as well as earnings for work as a spokesperson for the group.
Krasner, in the suit, said that America PAC and Musk “are indisputably violating Pennsylvania’s statutory prohibitions against illegal lotteries and deceiving consumers.”
Both Trump and Harris have made repeated visits to the state as they fight for Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes.
Musk, who founded SpaceX and Tesla and owns X, has gone all in on Trump this election, saying he thinks civilization is at stake if he loses. He is undertaking much of the get-out-the-vote effort for Trump through his super PAC, which can raise and spend unlimited sums of money.
He has committed more than $70 million to the super PAC to help Trump and other Republicans win in November.


Americans are anxious and frustrated about the presidential campaign, an AP-NORC poll finds

Americans are anxious and frustrated about the presidential campaign, an AP-NORC poll finds
Updated 31 October 2024
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Americans are anxious and frustrated about the presidential campaign, an AP-NORC poll finds

Americans are anxious and frustrated about the presidential campaign, an AP-NORC poll finds
  • About 7 in 10 Americans say “anxious” describes how they are feeling ahead of Tuesday
  • About two-thirds of Republicans are anxious, a moderate uptick from 2020

WASHINGTON: Most Americans are feeling a lot of emotions heading into Election Day, but excitement is not one of them.
A new poll from The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 7 in 10 Americans report feeling anxious or frustrated about the 2024 presidential campaign, and a similar share say they’re interested.
Only about one-third say they feel excited.
There’s a broad feeling of uncertainty hanging over the 2024 presidential contest during the last week of the campaign. The race is competitive nationally and in key swing states, according to recent polls, with neither Democrat Kamala Harris nor Republican Donald Trump showing a measurable advantage. At the same time, the candidates have offered closing arguments that are in stark contrast with each other, with Harris arguing that Trump is obsessed with revenge and his own personal needs, while Trump referred to Harris at a rally on Sunday night as “a trainwreck who has destroyed everything in her path.”
Some groups are even more anxious than they were four years ago, even though that election took place in the midst of a deadly pandemic. In 2020, an AP-NORC poll found that about two-thirds of Americans were anxious about the election, which is not statistically significant from the new result. But for partisans, anxiety is dialed a little higher. About 8 in 10 Democrats say anxious describes how they are feeling now, up slightly from around three-quarters in the last election. About two-thirds of Republicans are anxious, a moderate uptick from around 6 in 10 in 2020.
Independents, by contrast, haven’t shifted meaningfully, and they’re also feeling less worried than Democrats or Republicans. About half say they are anxious, similar to the finding in 2020.
Other emotions have gotten more intense compared to past election cycles, including excitement. About one-third of Americans report feeling excited about the 2024 campaign, up from around one-quarter in 2016. But a majority of Americans say they are not excited about this year’s race.
One thing has stayed fairly constant, though: Americans’ level of frustration with the campaign. Roughly 7 in 10 Americans say frustrated describes their emotional state, similar to 2020.
For those Americans, though, there is light on the horizon — soon, the election will be over.


Taiwan shuts down for arrival of strong Typhoon Kong-rey

Taiwan shuts down for arrival of strong Typhoon Kong-rey
Updated 31 October 2024
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Taiwan shuts down for arrival of strong Typhoon Kong-rey

Taiwan shuts down for arrival of strong Typhoon Kong-rey
  • Taiwan’s weather administration said it would be the biggest typhoon in size to hit the island since 1996
  • Warnings for destructive winds of more than 160 kph were issued in the eastern county of Taitung

TAIPEI: Taiwan shut down ahead of the arrival of strong Typhoon Kong-rey on Thursday with all cities and counties declaring a day off, financial markets closed and hundreds of flights canceled for what is expected to be the largest storm by size in 30 years.
The storm is forecast to make landfall on the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast around 2:00 p.m. (0600 GMT), according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, with strong winds and torrential rain affecting almost all the island.
At one point a super typhoon, Kong-rey slightly weakened overnight but remained powerful as the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane packing gusts of more than 250 kph (155 mph), according to Tropical Storm Risk.
Taiwan’s weather administration said it would be the biggest typhoon in size to hit the island since 1996.
Administration forecaster Gene Huang said after hitting the east coast it would head toward the Taiwan Strait as a much weakened storm and urged people across the island to stay at home due to the danger of high winds.
“The size of the storm is very large and the winds are high,” he said.
Warnings for destructive winds of more than 160 kph (100 mph) were issued in the eastern county of Taitung, whose outlying Lanyu island recorded gusts above 260 kph (162 mph) before some of the wind-barometers there went offline.
Up to 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) of rainfall is expected in eastern Taiwan with destructive winds along coastal areas, according to the administration.
The defense ministry has put 36,000 troops on standby to help with rescue efforts while 1,300 people have been evacuated from high risk areas ahead of time, the government said.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s largest contract chipmaker and major supplier to companies like Apple and Nvidia, said it has activated routine typhoon alert preparation procedures at all its factories and construction sites.
“We do not expect significant impact to our operations,” it said in an emailed statement.
Taiwan’s transport ministry said 298 international flights had been canceled, along with all domestic flights and 139 ferry services to and from outlying islands.
Taiwan’s high speed railway, which connects major cities on its populated western plains, continued to operate with a much reduced service.
In the capital Taipei, the city government said overground parts of the subway system had stopped operations as the wind was too strong.
The government has warned people to stay away from the mountains and the coast.
Kong-rey is forecast to graze China along the coast of Fujian province on Friday morning.
Subtropical Taiwan is frequently hit by typhoons. The last one, Typhoon Krathon, killed four people earlier this month as it passed through the south of the island.